Sand In My Shoes
by adropletofjupiter
Summary: Set at the end of season 2. When dawson and Andie go away for the summer PJ spend time together. but will she find in Pacey what she never found in dawson? a fun summer fic with a little angstfunloveconflicts.R&R ch 7 added
1. Chapter 1

_**Sand In My Shoes**_

_**Part 1**_

**Joey's Tale**

_Joey Potter watched her father as he was extracted out of their home and towards the awaiting patrol car, feeling her heart shatter as he looked at her; she stared back at him, barely able to see him through her tears. He took his gaze away from his youngest daughter and back to his oldest, holding his young grandchild who just looked away, tears in her eyes. She watched Mr Witter, Chief of Capeside Police, place him in the back seat and close the door before studying her sister as she walked in the house, ignoring her gaze_

Turning around she saw the last person she wanted to see, Dawson Leery, standing there, watching her, watching her family fall apart again. 

"How are you feeling?" He asked her.

"Like hell," she responded coldly, staring through him, unable to believe his nerve. How did he think she was feeling? Was she meant to say 'fine Dawson, and you?' he really did have a nerve and she just couldn't believe it. She couldn't even believe he had the nerve to show up on her doorstep and watch, let alone speak to her.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked her.

"No thank you," she responded, just as coldly as before, staring through his blue eyes, wishing he wasn't there, trying to wish him away. If looks could kill he would have definitely been dead by now, and for one moment, one split second, she wished he was. She wished her 'soul mate' would disappear into a vapour and never come back, she didn't care where he went as long as he disappeared, she didn't want to see him again.

"You did the right thing, Joey," he told her softly, trying to make her see his point of view.

"No, Dawson," she disagreed, shaking her head and expelling a sharp breath from her mouth angrily. She stared through him coldly with her icicle eyes again, a look of contempt staring straight through him. "You did the right thing. What I did?" she paused and shook her head. "The word 'right' doesn't even come close to," the tears ran down her cheeks steadily as she looked at him, awaiting his response, her eyes dark and cold. She felt nothing for him, nothing but hatred for that boy.

"We both did what we had to do," he told her. He wanted her to fling her arms around him and forgive him but the glare she gave him, with her heavy angry eyes told him that that was the least likely outcome.

"What I have to say, you're not going to like, so I'll say it quickly," Joey told him angrily, staring through him again with her cold, dead eyes. "I hope one day that I'll be able to forgive my father for all of this, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive myself, but I know that I will never forgive you. See, Dawson, there are certain circumstances that love can not overcome and from now on?" she breathed heavily and shook her head. "I don't want to know you," she finished. She didn't stick around to watch his emotion or his heart break in front of her, she simply turned away from him and walked towards her house, up the steps and into her house, collapsing into tears on the other side. Slowly she released her hands from her face and looked at her sister. "Bess..." She started to speak.

"Don't you even try and talk to me right now little sister because I am not in the mood," she told her angrily.

"Bessie I…" she tried to speak but the look in her sisters eyes, the hatred that resided there shocked her.

"I don't care, just stay out of my way," she told her walking away from her and into her bedroom, slamming the door.

Joey watched her and listened to the muffled sobs that came from her room. She had lost her father, her sister and her best friend in one day.

That was three weeks ago and some things had changed. Bessie had forgiven her and she had received a letter from her father telling her how sorry he was, but she hadn't forgiven him. She couldn't forgive him yet, not after three weeks, she just wasn't ready.

As for Dawson Leery? She had softened a little and came around a little to his point of view but her hatred for him had not changed. She rowed Past his house every day and sat on his dock, hoping that forgiveness would come but it wouldn't, she couldn't see herself ever getting over what he had done to her.

She hadn't seen much of anyone in the last three weeks, she had spent most of it working for a living, pumping gas with her sleaze of a boss, Rob Logan, who spent his days letching and sexually harassing her.

She had seen Jen a few times with Jack as they passed her by. They were having a great summer, really getting to know each other, partying, going to the beach every clear day and generally having fun.

She hadn't heard from Dawson, he had called her a few times in the first few days after she had spoken to him but she had ignored his calls, and ever since then had heard nothing from her former 'soul mate' and confidant. She had cut all her ties from him but she found it lonely, she really didn't have anyone anymore, except for Bessie.

Bessie had no time for her, she was busy herself, working in a motel most mornings out of town as a cleaning assistant on minimum wage. Between the two of them they barely made ends meat but they scraped by.

She hadn't seen much of Pacey at all; she had bumped into him at the store once when he was with his mother. She never forgot the look on his face, his eyes sunk onto his sockets and he looked like he had barely slept, but that was two weeks ago and she hadn't heard of him or seen him since. It wasn't a big surprise, after all, they were only friends by association and now that her association with Dawson was over it was safe to say that her ties were cut with Pacey too.

"Potter!" she heard a voice shout across the yard. "Stop daydreaming, you have a customer!" Rob shouted at her, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Come on! We'll lose business, and you will lose that little thing you call called a… oh what is it called?" Rob pretended to think. "Job, that's it you'll lose your job,"

"I'm on it," she mumbled, shaking her head and walking over to the boat that waited in the dock. "Jerk," she mumbled, hoping he didn't hear.

"I heard that!" he shouted after her and she whipped her head around to look at him. "But as you look so damn cute in those little dinky shorts I will forgive you," he letched, making cold shivers vibrate down her spine, and not in a good way.

She shivered visibly and walked towards the boat, coming face to face with someone who had occupied her thoughts just moments before.

"Pacey?" She asked him, not quite able to believe her eyes. He had changed in the two weeks since she had seen him, he no longer looked drawn and sleepy, he looked well rested and relaxed, not to mention tanned a beautiful golden colour.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Sand In My Shoes**_

**Part 2**

**Pacey's Tale**

_Pacey Witter walked towards his girlfriends' house and walked in through the back door, there was no one in sight, he just hoped she hadn't left already. He looked through the window and saw Jack and Andie loading up the trunk of the car with her luggage. They shut the trunk and Andie hugged Jack goodbye. He ran out of the house and through the back garden, jumping over the wall, watching her as she prepared herself to leave._

"Andie!" He shouted breathlessly as he arrived to her side. "Andie!" he called, causing her to turn and look at him. "Hey," he told Jack as he ran past him and slung his arms around his girlfriend. He had caught her, one more moment and he would have been watching her leave.

"We said no goodbyes," Andie told him softly, hugging him tightly.

"I don't want to say goodbye," he reassured her, cupping her cheeks with his hands. "I just want to look at ya..." he confessed, he didn't think he could stand three months away from her, he didn't want to leave her. "I wish I had some eloquent parting words for you but..." he shook his head and thought rapidly of some parting words. "All I could think of was this; thank you. Thank you for everything you've given to me. Thank you for forcing me to be the man you made me. Just thank you. I am so grateful to you, Andie," 

"Oh, I don't want to let you go, Pacey," she cried into him as they stood, together in their tight embrace.

"Just remember your promise, okay?" he asked her, the only thing he would ever ask of her again. "You and me together again, happy, healthy, more in love than ever,"

"I'll remember," She said, managing what little she could through her emotions.

"You'll get better, McPhee. Then you hurry back to me," she said confidently, but part of him had doubts, part of him was scared, terrified that she wouldn't come back to him, but he had to hope. He had to be confident, even if it was just for her.

"Pacey...kiss me?" Andie requested softly.

He brought his lips to hers, bending down and kissing her softly, just like the first time they kissed, his heart was beating and he felt her knees tremble.

"My knees are shaking," she told him after pulling away from their goodbye kiss, pressing her forehead to his.

"My heart...boom-boom, boom-boom," he told her. He hugged her tightly for as long as he could, but he knew she had to go. She broke away from him and walked towards the car, getting in and closing the door.

Pacey stood in the driveway, watching her leave.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked him, putting his hand on his shoulder for comfort.

"Fine," He told his dismissively before walking away slowly, making his way to the fountain and perching himself on the edge. He sat there for hours, until it was dark, just thinking about her and how he would cope being away from her for so long

But that was four weeks ago and it seemed like a lifetime, Andie had hardly written, called or emailed. The last letter he had read was two weeks ago, he had stayed up all night just reading it over and over again, reading word after word as many times as he could. It hadn't been very confident, full of what her therapist had said about stresses in her life, she didn't even say she missed him. It had broken his heart. He just hoped when he got home there would be a letter or an email waiting.

He had been away for ten days, sailing and fishing with his father. Ever since Andie had left his father had tried hard, too hard, to connect with him and he appreciated the effort. It had helped, but he knew that as soon as he was back on dry land it would force him to think about her and all the places they went together.

He had called Jack a few times, and asked about Jen. He promised him that he would go with him to a party tonight, but he was starting to change his mind.

He hadn't seen Joey since the fire at the icehouse, apart from once, in passing. He had been shopping with his mother, stocking up for the fishing trip with his father. It had been the day after he had received Andie's letter and he didn't even have the energy to talk to her. He had wanted to; he wanted to tell Joey he was still her friend even through what had happened with Dawson, but he couldn't. But he would, as soon as he got back.

Dawson hadn't called since he left for the summer, he hadn't emailed or written, for someone who was meant to be his best friend he wasn't doing a very good job of checking he was okay after the sudden departure of his sick girlfriend.

"Pacey! Tell the guys to fill her up will ya? I got to go and take a wiz," John Witter said, walking up to him. "Hello?" he said, waving his hand in front of his sons face, snapping him out of his daze.

"What was that pop?" Pacey asked.

"I'm going to take a wiz," he repeated. "Make sure the guy fills her all the way up, I promised Kevin we would hand her back fully gassed up," he told him, handing him the keys, hopping off the boat and heading towards the public toilets.

Pacey watched the figure that approached, it wasn't a guy, it was a girl. A hot girl and even if he was taken, that woman had a set of legs on her that led to heaven. He squinted as she approached closer, he shook his head. He couldn't believe it. There was no mistaking her. The permanent scowl on her face, the eyes full of ice and biting her swollen lip all the way towards him. It was, without a shadow of a doubt, Joey Potter.

"Pacey?" she asked him, looking at him as he removed his shades.

"Hey," he said, a little surprised, he jumped down onto the side of the boat and perched there, watching her as she looked at him, eyeing him up and down. "Serving Wench, fill her up," He joked. He looked down to see what she was staring at. He wasn't doing anything peculiar he wore his long combat shorts and a white wife beater, complete with a pair of shades and sandals. "What's with you? What you looking at?" he questioned her, slightly amused.

"Nothing I just," she shook her head and let out a small laugh. "I just wasn't expecting to see you," she told him, a small smile on her lips, relieved to see a friendly face. "I'll get her filled up right away," she told him, reaching for the pump.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sand In My Shoes**_

**Part 3**

**Nothing Changes**

"So," Pacey said as he signed for the gas and handed the clipboard back to Joey. "How come you're working here?" he asked her.

"Making ends meat, scraping by, keeping the Potter sisters' heads barely above ever-rising water. The usual," she told him, putting her pen into her pouch on her belt and holding the clipboard to her chest as she leant on the post and talked to him, shading the sun from her eyes.

"That's rough," he said and she shook her head in agreement.

"Yeah, shit happens," she whispered sadly at the reality of her life.

"Have you talked to…" Pacey started to speak.

"Let me set you straight there jailbait," she narrowed her eyes at him. "I have not talked to, called or emailed Dawson Leery. He has not called me and I have no intention in speaking to him until hell gets cold enough for snow. I do not/will not be speaking to him once the summer is over and I have no intention of talking to you about the only thing we have in common," she spat before turning her back and walking away.

"Was that…?" Mr Witter pointed to the girl he passed as he stepped onboard.

"Yeah. Miss Josephine 'sharp tongue' Potter," he sighed, shaking his head. He watched her as her boss approached her, still within a clear earshot.

"What the hell was that!" he shouted. "That's a paying customer!" he bellowed.

"So?" she asked him.

"So we don't talk to paying customers like that," he reminded her sharply.

"I'm sorry," she responded through gritted teeth.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't fire your cute, little, teasing, scowling ass?" he asked her, placing his hands on his hips and looking down at her.

"Because I need this job," she told him, swallowing a hard lump in her throat.

"Well I don't think that's much of an excuse Potter, we all need to work but I will not put up with your attitude any more," he warned her.

"I'll be right back Pop," Pacey said, hopping over the side of the boat and walking towards them. "Hey, hey, whoa, whoa," Pacey intervened, flinging his arm around Robs shoulder. "Completely my fault," he told him, putting his hand on his heart earnestly.

"And how is that?" rob asked him. Joey looked at him in confusion.

"I..." he searched for an excuse. "I insulted her," he lied. "I was rude, and brash and completely out of line. I apologise," he told her.

"You insulted her?" Rob asked, not buying it. 

"Pacey don't!" Joey snapped. "I don't need your pity, and I don't need this Job," she told him. It was lie.

"Yes you do," he told her and then turned to rob. "She needs this job; it's the only thing standing between her and the poorhouse okay? Just please don't fire her," he pleaded.

"I quit," She scowled, throwing her belt at him and glaring at Pacey.

"Whoa, Whoa Joey!" Pacey shouted, following her. "Joey!" he called after herm grabbing her arm.

"What?" she screamed, turning around.

"You need this job, you told me so yourself," he told her, steadying her to stop her from moving away.

"Do you have any idea how much you just humiliated me Pacey?" she shouted, unable to believe his nerve. "I'm not a charity case!"

"I know that,"

"Well why are you treating me like one?" she asked him angrily.

"Actually, I was treating you like a friend! I see now that it means nothing to you!" he said, defending himself and walking away from her towards his father who called him.

"Pacey!" She called after him, regretting her words. "Pacey!" she shouted again, placing her hand on her forehead stressfully. She didn't know what she had just done; she had no idea how she was going to tell Bessie what she had done.

"You did what?" Jen asked Joey in disbelief as she slouched on her couch, she had come over to persuade her to go to a party but had been unsuccessful so far. "You did what?" she repeated again

"I quit my job," she told her.

"You mean your meal ticket?" she asked her. "You quit your meal ticket?"

"I know, I know," she sighed heavily.

"Why?" she asked her.

"Long story, too much to go into right now," Joey said, running her fingers though her hair nervously. "What do I do?" she asked her. 

"Well can you beg? Plead? And crawl back on your hands and knees with your tail firmly in place between your legs?"

"Tried it. It's a no-go," she shook her head. "Can you think of anywhere you've seen jobs advertised?"

"One, but you're not gonna like it," Jen sung.

"I'll take anything,"

"Well a certain unmentionable boy's job at the video store is up for grabs, I saw the card in the window," she told her and Joey shook her head. "I thought you were desperate,"

"I would rather cut off my own arm," Joey told her. There was no way she could work there and face the prospect of Dawson returning to work there with her, let alone work all day in a confined space with Pacey Witter without killing him.

"OK, this is obviously a tough subject. How about you come out tonight with me and Jackers to the barbeque beach party," she said, hoping she would come.

"No, i'm not in the mood," she told her.

"Oh come on, let your hair down for once. There will be plenty of cute rebound-here-for-the-summer guys for you to flirt with and drop at the end of summer?" she sang, trying to tempt her. Joey shook her head. "Oh come on, you can get back at the male species by going out with a guy and dumping him cruelly, shattering his little heart,"

"I have nothing to wear," she complained.

"What you're wearing is fine," she told her, looking at the jeans and summer top that she was wearing.

"I'm not in the mood," she said shaking her head.

"Hi," Bessie said, waling though the door with Alexander and the groceries. 

"Hi Bessie," Joey said softly, she didn't know how she was going to tell her.

"How was work?" she questioned

"I don't have time to talk right now," she lied. "I'm going out,"

"Where to?" Bessie asked.

"A barbeque beach party," she told her, grabbing her jacket.

"That sounds fun,"

"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it, come on Jen we don't want to be late," she said, grabbing Jen and hurrying with her out the door.

"Wimp!" Jen accused her as they walked down the steps.

She didn't usually like parties, it was always full of Jocks trying to get you drunk, but she had to have a valid excuse to escape from the house and Bessie's questions


	4. Chapter 4

_**Sand In My Shoes**_

**Part 4**

**Annoying**

"Have I told you yet how much I do not want to be here?" Pacey moaned as Jack dragged him towards the table of drinks laid out for all the party goers.

"Just about a thousand times in the last sixteen and a half minutes," Jack complained, handing his friend a beer. "Beer. Drink. Be merry!" he pleaded, rolling his eyes. He couldn't wait for Jen to arrive, at least she wasn't depressed. "Hey Andie is in a real writing spree lately isn't she?" Jack asked and watched Pacey's face fall.

"She wrote to you?" he asked.

"Yeah of course, hasn't she written to you?" he questioned him.

"Nope," he said sternly. "Not for fifteen days,"

"Are you sure?" Jack asked him in confusion. He was getting an email or a letter from her every day. 

"Pretty sure, unless Paul, my mailman is playing a very cruel joke," he said, throwing the first beer down his neck and reaching for another. He couldn't believe Andie would do that, he couldn't believe she would write to Jack and not to him.

"So that's what's eating you?" Jack said, finally understanding.

"Not completely, Miss Josephine 'razor whit' Potter also has a lot to do with it," Pacey said sarcastically, shaking his head.

"You've been back for four hours, how can she have annoyed you already?" he asked in disbelief.

"She filled the boat with gas,"

"Ahh," he sighed in understanding.

"then she shouted at me, just as I was going to ask her if she had heard from Andie, she got told off by her boss and so I tried to rescue her from the situation, but I really don't know why I even bother," he complained, throwing another beer down his neck.

"You might want to slow down a little there Pace," Jack warned him.

"Hey guys!" Jen said greeting them with Joey in tow.

"And that is my cue to leave," Pacey said, coldly, brushing past Joey.

"Let him go," Jack sighed. "He is impossible tonight,"

"Pacey!" Joey said, running after him. "Pacey wait up!" she shouted after him, but he ignored her. "Pacey Witter you come back here right… ow!" she moaned as she tripped over a large rock and fell face down on the sand. "Pacey come on!" She shouted. "Ow, ow, ow!" She tried to hop over to him on her good ankle but fell over, unsuccessfully.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, turning around and walking over, kneeling beside her.

"I have sand in my shoe," she complained. "Oh yeah and a broken ankle!" she bellowed. "Now help me up you idiot," she added with a scowl on her face.

"Did anyone ever tell you that shouting at people is not the best way to get them to help you? And that calling me an idiot when I'm already pretty mad isn't the best apology I've ever heard?" he asked her.

"I'm sorry," she said honestly. "Now can you help me up? Please?" he requested.

"Ok," he sighed, sitting her up. "come on, lets go get you some ice for that slightly twisted ankle," he laughed, shaking his head, putting her arm around her shoulder and bringing her to her foot.

"Ahhh!" she complained as the pain shot through her ankle. "I think it's broken," she complained.

"Ok," Pacey sat her on a very large rock and took off her shoe, inspecting her foot. "Twisted, maybe sprained, definitely not broken so stop being a drama queen," he told her, looking up at her.

"Well if it's not broken then how come I can't walk on it?" she asked him, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Because you twisted it and it hurts, now come on tiny Tim," he sighed, helping her up again, putting his arm around her waist. "Walk with me and we'll get some ice on it," he suggested.

"Well it better not be too …" Joey spoke then fell again. "Ow!" she moaned.

"You are such a drama queen!" he complained, shaking his head.

"Well excuse me for coming to apologise to you and breaking…"

"Twisting," he corrected.

"Fine!" she agreed between gritted teeth "Twisting my ankle in the process. But you're not perfect by any means Pacey, I mean thanks for the on site first aid and all but your bedside manner really does leave something to be desired," he scowled.

"If you're looking for help you are really going the wrong way about it," he snapped back and took a deep breath. 

"Will you just help me up already!" she asked him and he threw his head back, letting an exasperated breath escape.

"Fine," he agreed and helped her up. She put her arm around his shoulder and he supported her waist as she walked. They got half way to the porch of the house when she started to fall again. "Ok, this is getting us nowhere," he sighed.

"What do you suggest?" she asked him. He placed his arm under her knees and scooped her up.

"God you've heavy these days Potter," he complained. "What the hell do you eat?" he joked.

"Less talking, more walking, this is so embarrassing," she scowled as he carried her to the house and up the steps, entering through the back door. 

He scanned the crowd for a free couch but found nothing. Teenagers made out wherever there was a vacancy. Scanning the house he watched two people walk out a bedroom holding hands and marched to the open door. He walked in and laid Joey on the bed carefully. 

"Leave the door open," she requested. "I do not want roomers circulating about this," Joey complained.

"I'm going to find ice, I'll be right back," he told her.

"Close the door behind you," she requested.

"But you just said that…" she sighed and shook his head, he didn't have the energy to argue with that woman. "I'll be right back, don't move" he told her.

"Oh you want me to stay?" she asked him sarcastically. "I thought I would go skiing!" she snapped. 

"Whatever you have shoved up your ass? Remove it by the time I get back?" he requested, taking a heavy exasperated breath as he walked out of the door in search of ice.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sand In My Shoes**_

**Part 5**

**Ice**

"Ok," Pacey said, walking in the door with a bowl of ice, two bottles of beer and a dishcloth before closing the door, "have you removed what was shoved up your ass yet?" he asked.

"Firmly extracted," she responded, sitting up and resting against the headboard.

"Good," he smiled, putting some ice in a cloth and placing it on her swollen ankle. They sat in silence for a moment whilst he held the ice to her skin.

"I'm sorry y'know Pacey," she told him seriously, looking at him.

"What for? The gas station or just now?" he questioned her.

"The gas station mainly. I was bang out of order," she told him softly

"Don't worry about it," He smiled, looking up at her and fixing his eyes onto hers. "No big deal,"

"Yeah it was, I mean you were only asking me about Dawson and…"

"Actually," Pacey interrupted. "Just for the record, I wasn't asking about Dawson,"

"You weren't?" she questioned him in surprise.

"No. I was going to ask if you had heard from Andie," he told her, his face dropping at the mention of her name.

"Oh," Joey said. "Boy do I feel stupid," she sighed. "Not to mention guilty,"

"Yeah well you should," he laughed lightly, resting the ice on her ankle and shifting up the bed, perching on the edge to talk to her. "I haven't," he confessed.

"Haven't what?" she asked him.

"Heard from Andie," he said sadly. "She hasn't written to me, called me or emailed me for almost two weeks. She called Jack but not me," he said sadly, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Pace I…" She didn't know what to say, she shuffled down the bed and swung her legs over.

"Keep them up," he ordered, placing them back on the bed,

"I'm sorry. Why didn't you tell me before I made a fool out of myself like that?" she asked him, watching his eyes as a tear gently seeped from the duct. He quickly wiped it away, he couldn't let her see him cry, there was never a good time to let Joey Potter see you cry.

"What was I meant to say? 'Hey Jo, haven't seen you in two weeks, my girlfriend is ignoring me but how are you?' huh?" he asked, shaking his head bitterly. "We don't talk about things like hat. We don't have a relationship where we share secrets and heartbreaks,"

"Pacey, do you remember about six months ago?" she asked him. "I was in the icehouse and you came in after hours for leftovers?"

"I always do that," he said creasing his brow. "It's called free food,"

"No, it was my fathers' birthday and I had just come back from seeing him with Dawson. You sat there and you told me about when you used to play pewee Baseball and you lost the game?"

"Yeah," he answered. He screwed his face up in confusion; he didn't know where this was going.

"Well you persuaded me to go and tell him how he made me feel and you drove me all that way in the dark and then paid the guard twenty dollars just so I could see him," she smiled reminiscing.

"Your point is?" he asked.

"That's a friendship, a pretty good one. The kind that takes years to build and one stupid comment to completely wreck. We have a kind of friendship where you have to read between the banter to find the meaning and I guess I forgot to do that. Because through all of my heartbreak and the hard time I've had recently I forgot about you, I forgot that you're going through this intensely, gut wrenchingly painful separation from the love of your life and I,…"

"Apology accepted," Pacey told her, interrupting her and shaking his head at her rambling.

"I wasn't apologising," she denied emptily

"Oh please! I know a Josephine Potter apology when I hear one," he told her smugly

"So," Joey said, ignoring his comment. "What brought you here tonight?" she asked

"Jackers persuaded me. You?"

"Jennifer persuaded me,"

"This isn't your scene," he told her. "Jocks, cheerleaders, a keg and a lot of underage sex? That's the fun you very rarely participate in. in fact the last time I recall you going all out and coming to a party like this you ended up with a guy who called you Chloe, who I had to punch out and we had to take you back to your place where you drunkenly kissed Dawson because you presumed he was your hero," Pacey told her, handing her a beer and taking a drink from his.

"You did that?" she asked him suddenly.

"Did what?" he questioned emptily.

"Punched out serial rapist guy?" she asked a little surprised and a little angry. Surprised that he had done it and angry that even to this day Dawson hadn't actually admitted that it wasn't him.

"Yeah, I did actually," he sighed, shaking his head from side to side. "But as usual Dawson was the hero. I mean Robin does all the ass kicking and then Batman comes in and takes all the credit for it,"

"Is that how you see yourself? Robin?" she asked and he nodded. "I always thought of you as more of a Tonto character,"

"Oh thanks," he replied sarcastically. "I'm down, kick me!" he sighed. 

"Tonto was the wise one; the lone ranger wore a mask and rode around town on his big horse saving the day but Tonto? Tonto was the ever-wise one," she explained.

"You think i'm wise?" he asked her sceptically.

"Well about some stuff. I mean a year ago I would have said you were immature, un-sophisticated, chauvinistic, cocky, arrogant, really…" she said counting her impressions on her fingers.

"Ok, ok, I get your point!" he said, cutting her off.

"But now, I can admit you do know more about some stuff than Dawson does,"

"Like what?" Pacey asked curiously.

"Like sex," she told him and he almost spit out his beer. "You've done it; you're bound to know what you're talking about some of the time," she explained. "Or at least to people who haven't had sex you sound like you do," Joey said. They sat in silence for a moment. "And a silence ensues," Joey joked, watching his cheeks turn a shocking shade of crimson "And embarrassment too,".

"I just, well, I," He was speechless.

"What? You thought I was such a prude that I couldn't talk about sex?" she asked him, sitting on the edge of the bed. Her ankle was starting to feel a little better now and watching Pacey Witter blush was a sight she was enjoying seeing very much.

"No. it's just I…" he opened and closed his mouth, without words coming out. "Is your foot any better?" he asked her changing the subject.

"A lot better," she told him, silently laughing at the crimson of his cheeks.

"Ok, so you want to go back and meet up with Jack and Jen?"

"Sure," Joey said getting up and leading him out of the bedroom back to the party outside.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sand In My Shoes**_

**Part Six**

**Par-tay**

"So great party huh?" A guy said, walking up to Joey as she stood beside the keg, drinking from a paper cup, watching the party in full swing.

"Pardon me?" She asked him, shouting above the loud music.

"I said. Great party, huh?" he repeated louder, leaning into her.

"Not bad," she responded, staring ahead, hoping he would take the hint.

"I'm Martin we go to school together;" he explained, Joey looked at him, she didn't recognise him. "I sit behind you in study hall,"

"Oh you sit behind me? Yeah I still don't know you," she told him flatly.

"You're Joey, right?"

"The one and only," she told him emptily, rolling her eyes. Where was Pacey when she needed him? Surely it didn't take someone twenty minutes to go to the toilet.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked her

"Nah, I'm good," she said shaking her head.

"Come on,"

"If I dance with you will you leave me alone?" she asked him rolling her eyes.

"Of course, if you want me to, but you won't," he told her, dragging her by her hand onto the dance floor.

They started to dance and she wished the song would finish quickly, she had no idea who this guy was but he was boring and clearly thought he was good looking. The fast song changed into a slower number and she sighed in relief.

"Well that was great," she lied, walking off, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

"That was only half a song," he complained. He pulled her closer towards him and swayed with her gently. She put her arms around his neck lifelessly and hung there, praying the song would end soon.

Pacey walked down the stairs and searched the room for Joey; he finally spotted her dancing with some guy and laughed. She was in the need of a rescue, he could tell.

"I'm cutting in," he told them, taking joeys hand and leading her away from him.

"Hey!" Martin complained. "I was dancing with her,"

"Yeah well now you're not," Pacey responded, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

"Who are you anyway?" he asked him.

"Pacey is my boyfriend," she told him.

"I'm not your boyfriend," she said obviously and she stamped on his foot, giving him a look of ice. "I'm more of a soul mate really,"

"Hey i'm sorry, I didn't know," Martin said defeated walking off. 

"Ouch," Pacey said, looking directly in the eyes "what the hell was that for?" he asked. .

"Where the hell were you?" she asked him.

"Have you seen the line for the bathroom? It's huge," he complained. "Plus I wouldn't have been so long if people didn't insist as using the bathroom as a make out room when no bedrooms are free,"

"eww," Joey cringed, resting her head on his shoulder. "We still have an audience," she whispered.

"Want to go and take a walk for a while?" he asked.

"Yes please," Joey said taking his hand and leading him out of the party via the back door and onto the beach.

"So," Joey started, leaning on Pacey's shoulder to steady herself as she removed her shoes. "Where have you been for the past fortnight?" she asked. "I haven't seen you around,"

"Me and my dad took a fishing trip. A very long ten day fishing trip,"

"Did you enjoy it?" she asked,

"Well it would have been fun if he hadn't been doing the 'I want to be a good father' routine for ten full days," Pacey sighed, shaking his head. "I mean there is such a thing as just trying too damn hard y'know?"

"At least he's trying,"

"I guess. I appreciate it, I really do. It's just that he wants to know everything about everything and you can't tell your father everything about your life. I'm not used to him like this, it's really freaking me out," he told her and she laughed lightly. "What?"

"You are never happy are you? I mean he ignores you and you're unhappy with him and then he actually tried to be a good father to you and you're not happy with that either,"

"That's the problem right there," he told her, stopping and looking at her. "He ignored me for fifteen years and then changes overnight. You just can't do that Jo, you can't change completely overnight. If he had the capability to be a good father before then why didn't he?"

"Well have you asked him?"

"No," he sighed lightly and continued walking along the beach, weaving between teenagers making out.

"And why do you think that is?" she questioned him, catching up with him and linking her arm with his in an attempt to fight off the cold chill of the wind.

"Because there is no valid explanation for it. I mean, ok, so what if I accept it? What then? Do I just pretend he never hurt me?" he asked her seriously.

"I don't know," she replied. "I really don't know. I know he loves you though, I mean why else would he do it? If he didn't love you then it wouldn't matter that you were hurting?"

"I don't know. All I know is that he is driving me insane with it,"

"Come on," Joey said, grabbing Pacey hand and dragging him back towards the house. "I think you need a drink,"

"What happened to responsible Joey? What happened to anti-drink Joey Potter?" he questioned her.

"I don't know, she just feels like getting a little drunk tonight,"

Joey and Pacey walked towards her front door at the end of the night drunkenly.  
"I think I may have had a little bit too much too drunk," Joey said as she hung onto Pacey. "Drunk?" she asked out loud, something about the word just didn't seem right. "Drunk? Drink? Drink? Is it drink or drunk?" she asked out loud and shook her head. "Who acres right, drunk/drink, it's all the same right?" The ground seemed like it was moving beneath her feet, which was when she realised that the ground wasn't moving, she was. Se was moving rapidly forward, towards the grass.

"Nah," Pacey told her, catching her and pulling her back towards him, helping her up the steps as well as he could.

"I think I had one too many jell-o shots," she mumbled.

"There's always room for jell-o," he laughed, helping her up the steps and towards the door. When they got their she dug deeply in her pocket for her key and placed it in the door, or at least she tried, she kept missing. "Let me try," Pacey said grabbing the key and putting it carefully into the lock and turning it.

"Wooo!" Joey exclaimed as they entered the house, Pacey quickly covered her mouth with his hand.

"Do you want to get us killed?" he asked her slurring his words. He may have been drunk but he knew what a dangerous woman Bessie was where Joey and alcohol was concerned.

"You're right," Joey whispered, turning to face him and putting her finger on his lips. "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" They walked aimlessly in the dark house, finally meeting their match in the shape of the arm of the couch, which they instantly fell over. "Hello," Joey laughed as she fell on top of Pacey. "Did you enjoy your trip?" she questioned drunkenly.

"Well a beautiful woman is lying on top of me so I'm happy," he joked in the dark.

"I had a nice time, all the people were so nice, and all that jell-o was so tasty,"

"I know,"

"I had a good time with Tonto tonight," she joked, placing her fingers in his hair and playing with the ends. "The Lone Ranger just ruins stuff,"

"Yeah?"

"MM-hmm," Joey mumbled. "Can I tell you a secret Tonto?" she whispered in his ear.

"Sure, I probably won't remember it tomorrow anyway,"

"I always thought that Tonto was cutter than the lone ranger and I would not say no to robin right about now," she slurred.

"You're drunk though," he pointed out.

"Yeah, probably," she told him, pressing her lips to his and invading his mouth with her tongue. He didn't know what to do, the drink clouded his though process, and so he responded, pulling her lips closer to his, engaging in a heated kiss.

"Ahem!" Bessie said, switching the light on and staring at them in shock. "What's going on here?" she questioned loudly.

"We were just saying goodnight," Joey said drunkenly, climbing off Pacey and landing on the floor with a loud thud.

"Joey get to bed," she told her, helping her sister up. "And you go home before I call your father and let him know the state you're in," she ordered. Pacey stood up and walked towards the door, leaving for the night. He just hoped he could remember how to get home. 


	7. Chapter 7

_**Sand In My Shoes**_

**Part Seven**

**Hangover**

Pacey sat behind the desk at the video store with his feet up on the counter, closing his eyes, hoping for a mid-day rest. It was a Tuesday and things were slow so he was hopeful of some mild slumber. The loud shrill of the bell on the door as it opened awoke him with a start.

"Hi," Joey said as she walked towards him slowly.

"You look like shit," he told her, watching her between his tired eyelids.

"Morning to you too," she laughed.

"What can I do for you?" he asked her, sitting up and leaning on the desk.

"Two things," she told him. "The first one is… do you by any chance remember what happened last night?" she questioned him, hoping he had forgotten. She hadn't been able to remember it herself until she hit the shower and sobered up a little.

"Yeah, I remember," he said, diverting his eyes from hers, he was kind of hoping she had forgotten. It wasn't that it was a bad kiss, it was a very, very good kiss, but they were both very drunk.

"I'm sorry," she said, cringing. "I was so drunk and you were so drunk and we were just…"

"So drunk?" he finished her sentence for her. "It's okay, really,"

"I just feel so bad I mean… there's Andie and I am meant to be her friend and the minute her back is turned I go and give her boyfriend the tongue kissing of his life, y'know?" she asked him, covering her thumping head with her hand.

"we drank way too much last night, and I was just as much at fault as you were," he told her, getting up and putting some boxes back on the shelves.

"So are we okay?" she asked him.

"Sure," Pacey smiled, turning around and looking at her. "We're fine," he reassured her.

"Really?" She asked unsure. "Because the very last thing that I want is for this summer to be awkward between us,"

"It's not awkward," he told her and she gave him a look, he knew the look. "Ok, so it's a teeny tiny bit awkward and maybe I'm just a tad embarrassed by the whole 'tongue in mouth' thing, but we are fine," he told her offering his arms to her in a hug which she accepted.

"Thanks," She smiled, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly.

"Just as long as you know that once Pacey's lips have graced yours in an unforgettable kiss you will never be the same," he joked and she pulled away, slapping him arm roughly. "Really! I mean your baseline standard has just risen, you will crave for a kiss as passionate and unforgettable as the one we shared but you will never find it. You will spend the rest of your life searching in vain for a kiss as wonderful and passionate,"

"You're amazing Pace, you know that?" she smiled lightly, walking towards him slowly, swaying her hips and licking her ruby lips.

"I am huh?" he asked smirking. 

"Yeah," she whispered softly. "Amazing you can get your head through doorways!" she told him, her tone retuning to normal. 

"So," Pacey changed the subject, his hangover was too severe for banter this morning, especially with Joey Potter. "What was the other thing?" he asked after a minute of silence.

"Are you sill looking to fill the job in the window?" she asked hopefully

"Yeah. Why? Do you know someone who's interested?"

"Me,"

"You?" Pacey scoffed, almost laughing out loud "excuse me whilst I scoff,"

"What's so funny?" she asked him slapping his arm. "in case you don't remember, I quit my job yesterday and I still haven't told Bessie yet,"

"I thought you said this job was the least inspiring job on earth and that you would rather rip both of your arms off and eat them rather than working here?"

"It's a girl's prerogative to change her mind when she has no money to feed her family,"

"Okay," Pacey said sighing. "It's your funeral," he handed her a clipboard with an application form and a pen. "Fill this out,"

"Thanks," she smiled, leaning on the desk, swiping some hair behind her ear.

"So you really haven't told Bessie yet?" he questioned and she shook her head. "She is so going to kill you when she finds out,"

"Don't remind me," she said, handing him back the application form. "When will I find out about the job?"

"I'll call you when I hear anything. The boss is in today and seen as you are the only applicant I cant see anyone beating you to it,"

"Won't he want to interview me?" she asked him.

"Joey? The work force here is basically me, myself and I right now, so no… I don't think so,"

"You're right," Joey said shaking her head. "I mean if he'll employ you he'll employ anyone, right?" she joked,

"Get the hell out," he said, stalking her towards the door

"Excuse me?" she asked,

"Out my store, go on, shoo," he told her, rushing her out the store. 

"Pacey!"

"Nope, if you want me to pass on this application I suggest you stop insulting me and go, go on, shoo," he joked, pushing her gently out the door, leaning against the doorframe.

"Movies tonight?" she asked.

"Sure, nothing else going on in this god forsaken hellhole right?"

"Yeah. Unless you want to do the whole sex, drugs and rock and roll thing," she joked.

"I don't really think that sex, drugs and rock and roll is the Capeside way to be honest. So how about dinner, a hotdog and a walk through the park instead. Huh?" he suggested.

"Sure," Joey smiled. "So I'll see you later then,"

"What?" he asked she turned her back. "No goodbye kisses?"

"Goodbye Pacey," she said, turning her back and walking away shaking her head at him. She was starting to see a different side to Pacey Witter, she was starting to find his childish quips 'cute' instead of 'irritating'; she was starting to find his newly tanned body eye-catching and suddenly felt happy about spending time with him. Life without Dawson seemed so different, and the scary thing was that it wasn't bad, it wasn't bad at all.


End file.
